Harlem Wizards
Encyclopedia
The Harlem Wizards are a basketball
team
whose history
goes back to 1962 when it was created by sports promoter, Howie Davis. Unlike most basketball teams, the Harlem Wizards are not primarily focused on winning matches - instead, their aim is to entertain the crowd using a variety of basketball tricks
and alley oops. They perform fundraisers
at local schools for the students and the rest of the community
, displaying their fancy trickery through dribbling
, passing
, shooting
, and dunking
. Through these fundraisers, they have raised millions of dollars for "charitable organizations, schools, and foundations across the world." The audience is not only there to watch the Wizards, but also to participate in the show. The Wizards get the crowd involved, often bringing children out onto the floor to be part of a basketball trick or a comedic act
.
Their antics are very similar to those of the Harlem Globetrotters
, who were created in 1926.
The Wizards and the Globetrotters are the only remaining show basketball teams. The theme for the Wizards' 2010-2011 campaign is the "Basketball and Beyond Tour." They hold the longest known winning streak
in all of professional sports
- over 2,800 games.
and Recreation
Director at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
in Dayton, Ohio
. The World Championship of Basketball Tournament in Chicago
asked Davis to provide an emergency 8th team to compete in the tournament. Within one week, Davis assembled the Dayton Dive Bombers. The Dive Bombers' first round opponent in the tournament was the previous World Champion, the Harlem Globetrotters
. The Dive Bombers pulled the upset
and the Globetrotters' manager, Abe Saperstein
, refused to even shake Davis' hand after the game. Davis was intrigued by this event, and twenty years later, he decided to create his own show basketball team, the Harlem Wizards.
Before Davis got into sports management and promotion, Howie Davis played semi-professional
baseball
for a couple years. He eventually managed the Brooklyn Dodgers (football)
team, the Staten Island Stapes, and the Kokomo Clowns, who actually played in clown
outfits. Before creating the Harlem Wizards, he was also a scout
for the San Francisco Giants
.
In 1962, Davis created the Wizards, wanting to expand on Saperstein's idea of the Globetrotters. Davis wanted the Wizards to be an even more competitive
, creative
, and entertaining
team than the Globetrotters.
When Howie Davis passed away in 1992, his son, Todd Davis, took over as the President
of the Harlem Wizards organization.
Since 1962, the Wizards have played over 6,000 games, both in the United States
and abroad. They have played on five different continents and in 22 different countries.
Connie Hawkins
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team
Team
A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...
whose history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
goes back to 1962 when it was created by sports promoter, Howie Davis. Unlike most basketball teams, the Harlem Wizards are not primarily focused on winning matches - instead, their aim is to entertain the crowd using a variety of basketball tricks
Basketball moves
Basketball moves are generally individual actions used by players in basketball to pass by defenders to gain access to the basket or to get a clean pass to a teammate.- Dribbling :...
and alley oops. They perform fundraisers
Fundraiser
A fundraiser is an event or campaign whose primary purpose is to raise money for a cause. See also: fundraising. A fundraiser can also be an individual or company whose primary job is to raise money for a specific charity or non-profit organization...
at local schools for the students and the rest of the community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
, displaying their fancy trickery through dribbling
Dribbling
In sports, dribbling refers to the maneuvering of a ball around a defender through short skillful taps or kicks with either the legs , hands , stick or swimming strokes...
, passing
Passing (sports)
Passing is a common technique in sports that use balls and pucks. A pass consists of an intentional transfer of the ball from one player to another of the same team. Examples of sports that involve passing are association football, basketball, ice hockey, and American football...
, shooting
Jump shot
In basketball , a jump shot is an attempt to score a basket by jumping, usually straight up, and in mid-jump, propelling the ball in an arc into the basket. It is accomplished by the player bringing his or her elbow up until it is aligned with the hoop, then sent towards the hoop in a high arc. It...
, and dunking
Slam dunk
A slam dunk is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air and manually powers the ball downward through the basket with one or both hands over the rim. This is considered a normal field goal attempt; if successful it is worth two points. The term "slam dunk" was...
. Through these fundraisers, they have raised millions of dollars for "charitable organizations, schools, and foundations across the world." The audience is not only there to watch the Wizards, but also to participate in the show. The Wizards get the crowd involved, often bringing children out onto the floor to be part of a basketball trick or a comedic act
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
.
Their antics are very similar to those of the Harlem Globetrotters
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
, who were created in 1926.
The Wizards and the Globetrotters are the only remaining show basketball teams. The theme for the Wizards' 2010-2011 campaign is the "Basketball and Beyond Tour." They hold the longest known winning streak
Winning streak (sports)
In sports, a winning streak refers to a consecutive number of games won. A winning streak can be held by a team, as in baseball, football, basketball, hockey, or by an individual, as in tennis...
in all of professional sports
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
- over 2,800 games.
History
According to harlemwizards.com, in 1943, Harlem Wizards creator Howie Davis was working as a Sports Promoter and the SergeantSergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
and Recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
Director at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Greene and Montgomery counties in the state of Ohio. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wright Field and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot. Patterson Field is located approximately...
in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
. The World Championship of Basketball Tournament in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
asked Davis to provide an emergency 8th team to compete in the tournament. Within one week, Davis assembled the Dayton Dive Bombers. The Dive Bombers' first round opponent in the tournament was the previous World Champion, the Harlem Globetrotters
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
. The Dive Bombers pulled the upset
Upset
An upset occurs in a competition, frequently in electoral politics or sports, when the party popularly expected to win , is defeated by an underdog whom the majority expects to lose, defying the conventional wisdom...
and the Globetrotters' manager, Abe Saperstein
Abe Saperstein
Abraham M. Saperstein was an owner and coach of the Savoy Big Five, which later became the Harlem Globetrotters...
, refused to even shake Davis' hand after the game. Davis was intrigued by this event, and twenty years later, he decided to create his own show basketball team, the Harlem Wizards.
Before Davis got into sports management and promotion, Howie Davis played semi-professional
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
for a couple years. He eventually managed the Brooklyn Dodgers (football)
Brooklyn Dodgers (football)
Brooklyn Dodgers baseball club.Brooklyn Dodgers may also refer to:*The Brooklyn Dodgers , who played from 1930 to 1943 in the National Football League...
team, the Staten Island Stapes, and the Kokomo Clowns, who actually played in clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
outfits. Before creating the Harlem Wizards, he was also a scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
for the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
.
In 1962, Davis created the Wizards, wanting to expand on Saperstein's idea of the Globetrotters. Davis wanted the Wizards to be an even more competitive
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...
, creative
Creativity
Creativity refers to the phenomenon whereby a person creates something new that has some kind of value. What counts as "new" may be in reference to the individual creator, or to the society or domain within which the novelty occurs...
, and entertaining
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
team than the Globetrotters.
When Howie Davis passed away in 1992, his son, Todd Davis, took over as the President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the Harlem Wizards organization.
Since 1962, the Wizards have played over 6,000 games, both in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and abroad. They have played on five different continents and in 22 different countries.
Current Roster
Former Players
- Ollie Lee Ledbetter
Connie Hawkins
Connie Hawkins
Cornelius L. Hawkins is a former National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association player, Harlem Globetrotter and New York City playground legend...
- Tiny Archibald
- Hawthorne Wingo
- Mario ElieMario ElieMario Antoine Elie is an American former professional basketball player and coach. Currently, he works as an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings.-Early life and career:...
- Hollis CopelandHollis CopelandHollis Alphonso Copeland is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'6" and 180 lb small forward and played high school basketball at Ewing High School and college basketball at Rutgers University.Copeland was selected with the 2nd pick of the third round in the 1978...
- "Sudden Sam" WorthenSam WorthenSamuel Lee Worthen is a former NBA player who currently is touring as the coach of the Washington Generals, the team that periennally loses to the Harlem Globetrotters....
- Luis "Trikz" Da SilvaLuis Da SilvaLuis Fernando "Trikz" Da Silva, Jr. is an American basketball player and actor. Luis, who has been referred to as "The World's Best Ball Handler" gained notoriety after headlining the 2001 Nike Freestyle ad campaign and been the face of Steve & Barry's Starbury clothing line tour.-Life and...
- James "Speedy" Williams
- "The Main Event"
- Frankie Bradshaw
- Larry "Butterfly" Cheatham
- Ed "Czar" Simmons
- Frank "Shake & Bake" Streety
- "Headache"
- Guy Hughes
- Clarence "Mugsy" Leggett
- Tom "Sundance Kid" Chapin
- Vincent White
- James "Peanuts" Woolard
External links
- http://www.harlemwizards.com/ - Harlem Wizards website.
- http://www.twitter.com/HarlemWizards/ - Follow the Harlem Wizards on twitter.
- http://www.facebook.com/TheHarlemWizards - The Harlem Wizards' Facebook page.